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Thesis on BDSM - 9/7/2004 7:20:50 PM

siamsa24

Posts: 2426
Joined: 2/2/2004
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I hope this is the right spot for this, please let me know if it is not and I will move it.

I am starting my Independent Study (which is just a fancy name for a thesis paper) next semester and will be writing it for about a year and a half. I am considering the topic of BDSM relationships and how they compare to vanilla relationships. I would only be interested in the relationships (length, the mean age of the individuals, how partners are met, etc.), not the sex.
To complete this study I would use surveys, interviews and possibly case studies if I can get the funding. All information would be confidential and names would not be associated with data. Participation would be totally voluntary and participants could withdraw from the study at any time.

So, my questions are these:
Would you be willing to participate in a study of that nature?
Would you feel that it was an invasion of your privacy as a member of the overall group?
Do you feel that it would portray a negative image of BDSM?
or, Would you simply not like to have BDSM relationships analyzed in this way?

If you have any questions please let me know, I am interested in any feedback that anyone has to offer, positive or negative.

Post #: 1

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/7/2004 8:03:12 PM

Destinysskeins

Posts: 267
Joined: 7/1/2004
Status: offline

Greetings,

Personally i think it's a good idea and would contribute anything i could to the paper. Actually, perhaps you might consider sending a copy to the NCSF for their use in increasing awareness should it turn out in good form.

_____________________________

Wilted petals fall from a rose like bitters tears wrung from a heart whose dreams have shattered. What hope for the future can be seen by eyes that are darkened with sorrow neverending?

i'm not manic-depressive, i just have an elliptical personality

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 2

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/7/2004 8:33:43 PM

jillwfsub4blkdom

Posts: 375
Joined: 7/2/2004
Status: offline

i would be more than happy to participate in the survey. Knowledge is a powerful thing and hopefully can be helpful to everyone.

_____________________________

"It's the moment that transcends
Our physical into a more spiritual level of understanding" - Musiq

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 3

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/7/2004 10:41:34 PM

ShrewWhisperer

Posts: 63
Joined: 8/26/2004
Status: offline

It's a good idea Siam....if you are going for any sort of accurate scientific conclusions (soft sciences like psych are science too folks..ask any shrink :) then I wish you luck with it. If you are doing a sociology paper then you'll sleep easier at night for your year & 1/2.

You might want to check out what has already been done, in whichever field you are aiming at, I know in the mid-80's Ohio State did a fairly extensive work on the topic, and I'm sure there have been aftermath papers by the dozens. It's easier to get 2 doms to agree on lunch than it is to get to scholars to agree on a point of fact.

Yes I would participate in such a work, hell I'd invite you along with a documentory crew if there was valid academics behind it....don't want to end up on HBO but it'd be kinda keen to end up talked about at standford.

yeah its going to be an invasion of privacy, but the quest for knowledge always is...don't let it stop you, just treat it with the care and respect the subects deserve

I've had this fight in the pagan community about "is putting too much info out there" inevitably going to put a worse light on a group that already has a bad wrap by the world at large....and I'd say that no amount of information is going to change a bigot's mind, good or bad...but it might save their kids from following the same road of small mindedness. So go fer it dude....just be sure you do it with your best talents, the only thing your subjects will deserve is your best judgment. Assuming your not a fool, then no one can expect more.

what anybody likes when trying to uncover rocks to find out what lives there is never that important...no chimp liked having Jane hanging around, but it added to the whole of knowledge, so yeah a couple of chimps had to tell their parents what they did in the jungle but it was worth the trade to the greater whole.

If you can get the funding *insert mad laughter here* controlled experiments would have a lot of impact esp. in the areas of female orgasm (you can't go broke investigating such things...hell you'll make enough money on oprah to eat for a year) and submission, and the disincorperated male and family-commitments, using dominance as a substitute (again you can't go broke appealing to the current thinking of institutions of higher learning....you just have to decide if you want to be a whore for the old school feminests who are now the heads of departments)

(in reply to jillwfsub4blkdom)

Post #: 4

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/7/2004 10:56:55 PM

MistressDREAD

Posts: 2943
Joined: 1/1/2004
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I am in contact with about 200 students a year whom like you desire to write thesis on this Lifestyle. I think all the major Professors must be giving Us BDSMers out as case studys in the past couple of years in the medical and law fields. Keep in mind tho that in order to gain funding You will have to gain sum personal information of the case studies for your request to fly and state how you will keep such information. Contact a Grant Writer and They can better tell You how to go about filling out what You need better with out any mistakes and what youll need to gain the funding. JMO LOL!

have at it !!

Imma open book anyhow.....

(in reply to ShrewWhisperer)

Post #: 5

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 12:50:08 AM

UtahGoddess

Posts: 205
Joined: 1/1/2004
From: Utah
Status: offline

Dear siamsa24,

A comprehensive survey was done several years ago by Gloria Brame. ( http://www.gloria-brame.com/therapy/kinkoverview.html )
Her results may save you a lot of legwork and help you with your thesis.

Ms Sandi

_____________________________

"The Masochist desires to experience stronger sensations, but desires that it should be inflicted with Love. The Sadist desires to inflict stronger sensations, but desires that it should be felt as Love" Havelock Ellis The Project Gutenberg

(in reply to MistressDREAD)

Post #: 6

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 1:05:45 AM

UtahGoddess

Posts: 205
Joined: 1/1/2004
From: Utah
Status: offline

Another published survey

http://www.sexuality.org/nb.html

Ms Sandi

< Message edited by UtahGoddess -- 9/8/2004 1:08:23 AM >

_____________________________

"The Masochist desires to experience stronger sensations, but desires that it should be inflicted with Love. The Sadist desires to inflict stronger sensations, but desires that it should be felt as Love" Havelock Ellis The Project Gutenberg

(in reply to UtahGoddess)

Post #: 7

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 4:45:15 AM

MistressDREAD

Posts: 2943
Joined: 1/1/2004
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ahhhhhh jezzzzzzz Sandi
let the student do the leg work!!!
how they spose ta learn!
~wink~
Ya know jus about every graduated
sex educationer has a thesis out
there floatin sum where bout the life......

(in reply to UtahGoddess)

Post #: 8

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 5:02:13 AM

LadyAngelika

Posts: 8070
Joined: 7/4/2004
Status: offline

siamsa24,

Being at that stage of my degree myself, I'd be glad to lend a hand. Though mine has nothing to do with BDSM… well except for the fact that I must be some kind of masochist to take this on!

I have a purely academic/semantic question for you…
I’ve never heard a thesis called an independent study before. I did an independent study during my undergrad... it was a semester endeavour with no formal research design and method of inquiry, just a long research paper. The thesis I’m doing now is for grad school and most definitely involves a research design and a method of inquiry.

Oh yeah, and one has to defend. Knowing one person who comes to collarme.com regularly who did her thesis on the topic of BDSM and the hardest part is to defend. I’ll let her know about this thread and I’m sure she will contact you and perhaps even give you a copy of her thesis for your literature review (presuming you have to do one).

In any case, sign me up for your study.

- LA

_____________________________

Une main de fer dans un gant de velours ~ An iron hand in a velvet glove

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 9

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 5:21:38 AM

siamsa24

Posts: 2426
Joined: 2/2/2004
Status: offline

ShrewWhisperer,
Thank you for your advice, and I thank you for your good luck wish, I think I'm going to need it (I am a psychology/pre-law major). My school is not quite Standford, but we've actually been compared with them in this area of research, lol, what are the odds?

LadyAngelika,
This is closer to a graduate study thesis then an undergrad. The first semester will be mostly research, but the year after that is all experimental research and summery. It's quite an undertaking actually, but the end result is worth it. Many students have had their studies published into books.

(in reply to LadyAngelika)

Post #: 10

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 7:23:21 AM

Maltor

Posts: 32
Joined: 7/20/2004
Status: offline

siamsa,

I'll participate if you still need canidates

I agree it's a invasion, but I'm only for hiding it from those at work

I believe that would depend on what light things are presented in... as such is anything else.

I don't mind relationships being analyzed...

M.

_____________________________

Don't get upset if I disagree, it doesn't mean I am right... only I see it differently.

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 11

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 9:25:15 AM

sub4hire

Posts: 6775
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline

siamsa,
Send me a link when you get it up and running. I'll make sure it passes the desk of a couple of thousand or so people for you. Not sure if they all will participate, but when doing a study you want the most amount of people to know about it as possible.

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 12

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 10:29:30 AM

happypervert

Posts: 2203
Joined: 5/11/2004
From: Scranton, PA
Status: offline

quote:

Do you feel that it would portray a negative image of BDSM?

I think that is entirely up to how you present it. It isn't uncommon for researchers to start off with a negative bias and then slant their study to prove their point. There are others who expect to find some revelation, but when the actual results prove to be mundane they will sensensationalize some trivial point just to get attention and justify all the hard work.

The potential pitfall in your case, I think, is that the research could have a bias toward the positive aspects of BDSM relationships. That bias will be obvious to any casual reader, and then your work could be dismissed and ignored. Though a larger audience won't see it it as contributing to the body of knowledge, your professor will probably give it a good grade as long as it reflects the expected effort and thought.

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 13

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 11:36:39 AM

sub4hire

Posts: 6775
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline

quote:

quote:

Do you feel that it would portray a negative image of BDSM?

It has been done many times before. It has never portrayed the lifestyle in a bad light yet.

(in reply to happypervert)

Post #: 14

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 11:43:32 AM

siamsa24

Posts: 2426
Joined: 2/2/2004
Status: offline

Just to clairify, this is a theoretical study right now. I would start the research in January of 2005 and start the other portions (surveys, interviews etc.) in August or September of 2005. Although if I get the topic approved and the funding worked out I may do the case studies over the summer.
All I am trying to do right now is get a general feel for what people think of the topic

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 15

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 11:56:18 AM

Mercnbeth

Posts: 11766
Status: offline

Sure -
beth & I can give you all the information you need about living as a couple in the lifestyle.
Merc & beth

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 16

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/8/2004 2:25:28 PM

NoCalOwner

Posts: 241
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: siamsa24
Would you be willing to participate in a study of that nature?

Sure, why not?

quote:

Would you feel that it was an invasion of your privacy as a member of the overall group?

No, I'm happy to be part of an aggregate statistic as long as I'm asked nicely first.

quote:

Do you feel that it would portray a negative image of BDSM?

I have no idea. Statistics like modelling clay, I could see it going in almost any direction.

quote:

or, Would you simply not like to have BDSM relationships analyzed in this way?

I think that it would be very interesting! I would not expect everyone to be 100% pleased with the results of analysis, but let the chips fall where they may. I much prefer good science to propaganda, and that includes friendly propaganda. Feel free to contact us.

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 17

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/9/2004 5:03:26 AM

WayHome

Posts: 237
Joined: 8/4/2004
Status: offline

My primary concern in all the BDSM related surveys I've read is selection issues and selection errors. Obviously it's impossible to get a true random sample from such a group and great effort is necessary to minimize the problems thus associated. None of the papers I've read really spent enough time explaining how this was dealt with or providing the author's analysis of how representative the sample was. While it is impossible to experimentally or statistically factor out sample error, it is possible (and desirable) to address sample error. What direction is the error expected to be in? Who do you expect is under represented in the sample and why? Who do you expect is over represented in the sample and why?

I hope that you will do a better job of addressing these issues than previous authors.

Here is a good example: Question number one from one of Sandi's links.
( http://www.gloria-brame.com/therapy/kinkoverview.html )

1. What is your level of education?

Some College 2621 37%
College Graduate 2125 30%
Post-graduate 1383 20%
High School Graduate 655 9%
Some High School 213 3%

These answers seem to imply that the BDSM crowd is much more educated on average than the population at large, but do they really mean that?

First, it was an online survey and thus selected with bias towards those with internet access--typically more educated than the population at large.

Second, it's an academic study and strongly selects for people who have enough interest in such things to take the time to voluntarily complete the survey. Thus there is a strong selection bias again towards academics--people who went to college.

Third, there is no description at all of how they solicited subjects. Were requests sent out to certain lists? Do those lists have a selection bias themselves? Was the site hard to find and require net-savy to complete the survey?

Fourth, the author states that she maintained anonymity and used no tracking software at all. Does that mean that subjects could fill out the survey more than once? Could a few individuals with an agenda have filled out the survey dozens, or even hundreds of times each in order to intentionally skew the data? Would she have any way of knowing? Was her software methodology standard for online surveys?

Just a short list of the problems. (In addition to sample error, a question like this obviously has self-report error issues as well, but that's another topic)

The author should have addressed this by offering a comparison to the answers to that same question from other studies conducted with similar methodology. A non-BDSM study that was conducted on the web and also asked about educational level (thousands to choose from) could have been included as a baseline comparisson for self-reported educational level of the population at large.

Obviously there is the problem of your audience expecting sloppiness and bias as a result of your position sympathetic to the BDSM community. The only way to combat that prejudice is to dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s and provide an appropriately critical analysis of your own research. That sort of thing goes a long way towards gaining acceptance in the academic community.

Sure there have been lots of studies before, but there is still plenty of room for you to make a meaningful contribution as long as you maintain a high standard for yourself. Spend a little time reading articles by other people in major journals who used surveys as a methodology to study problematic populations other than kinky folks to see how those authors addresssed the issues. It will pay off in the long run and may help you structure your methodology much more effectively.

Leto
(BA in Pych with some graduate work in behavioral therapy)

(in reply to NoCalOwner)

Post #: 18

RE: Thesis on BDSM - 9/9/2004 2:01:38 PM

feline

Posts: 1101
Joined: 2/23/2004
From: CA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: siamsa24

Just to clairify, this is a theoretical study right now. I would start the research in January of 2005 and start the other portions (surveys, interviews etc.) in August or September of 2005. Although if I get the topic approved and the funding worked out I may do the case studies over the summer.
All I am trying to do right now is get a general feel for what people think of the topic

I think it's great. I can't wait to see the outcome.

Count me in. Message me here if and when you need my personal email, or any other information. Good luck.

Take care,

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Variety is the soul of pleasure.
~Aphra Behn~

(in reply to siamsa24)

Post #: 19

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